Israel says it expects to continue reconciliation with Turkey

Israel said Saturday it "respects" Turkey's democracy and expects to proceed with its recently launched reconciliation process with Turkey, in a first comment after Friday's failed military coup attempt.

"Israel respects the democratic process in Turkey," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the failed coup is not forecasted to affect the bilateral relations. "Israel expects the reconciliation process between the two countries will continue," the statement read.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday morning that his government is in charge and he is in power after the country is smarting from the coup attempt overnight.

Death toll has risen to 161, with 1,440 wounded, according to Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Ankara on Saturday.

At least 700 unarmed soldiers at the Turkish military headquarters have surrendered, the report said.

On June 27, Israel and Turkey announced an agreement to normalize relations between them, nearly six years after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish flotilla killed 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists in 2010.

Under the deal, Turkey will not allow Turkish citizens to file law suits against the Israeli soldiers who killed the Turkish citizens on the flotilla, while Israel will pay families of the victims 21 million U.S. dollars in compensation.

Additionally, the two countries agree to exchange ambassadors and to begin negotiations on a deal to sell Israeli gas to Turkey, and Turkey will send humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Endit